


Apprehension

by Tsula



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hinted Lime, Miscommunication, Romance, Violence, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 18:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7856347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsula/pseuds/Tsula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He caught the fleeing guard by the throat, hoisting the man into the air so that he dangled several feet off the ground.  </p><p>“Where is she?” His tone was more of a growl and it made you shiver from head to toe. If you weren’t so worried about getting in trouble you would have flown right out of the vents and jumped him with a running start. His voice was sexy as hell even when striking fear and dread into your heart.  </p><p>“W-who?” The soldier choked, confused and terrified as hung suspended by Thor’s massive, crushing hand.  </p><p>Thor looked ready to beat the man to a pulp, no doubt thinking he was lying about not knowing who he meant. Or worse, that he’d played a hand in hurting you. However, Tony’s head turned towards where you were hiding and he stepped forward to tap the big guy on the shoulder. Thor turned slightly to acknowledge him and Tony pointed towards the grate.  </p><p>“Pretty sure they have no idea she’s even here.” You could hear the smirk in his tone. Of course he would find this situation amusing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apprehension

**Author's Note:**

> Been holding on to this for months wanting to make it better, but... ugh. It's probably just that nagging voice in my head that's never satisfied with anything. Plus I've held onto it for too long without really changing anything. 
> 
> So here it is at last! My long ass Thor one-shot! :D Hope you like it.

Nothing says “it’s Monday” quite like being stuck in a vent for six hours. At least not in your line of work. 

It wasn’t even noon yet and you were bored out of your damn mind. Not to mention immensely uncomfortable. There just really wasn’t a good way to lay or sit in a tin can. It was tedious and tiring enough crawling through them, but being stuck there until dark was some serious penance for a mistake that wasn’t even yours. You hadn’t actually been detected; but the enemy base was on high alert thanks to some idiot poking at their external defenses and that left you stranded inside until things cooled down. 

In fact, you weren’t budging until you had the cover of darkness on your side. Or until the cavalry came breaking down the door. Whichever came first.

You hadn’t been able to get a signal from inside the facility, let alone the vents, to tell them you were still safe. So, piled up on top of boredom was a sickening coil of nerves you were trying and failing to squash. 

There wasn’t even any guarantee that _he_ would hear about this incident yet anyway. He’d been off world when you went out to gather intel—something he did not like you doing alone. You were hoping that your luck would at least not screw you on that point, because he would absolutely come breaking down the door if he heard you were missing in the field. You were positive Tony would tell him too. As much as he liked to poke the bear, he wasn’t about to withhold that sort of information from Thor. Plus you were sure he’d enjoy watching the Asguardian tear the enemy base apart looking for you. 

Two birds with one stone to be sure. 

Just thinking about it made you tense, though you were nearly positive that the enemy’s weaponry wouldn’t do much good against him. The ‘nearly’ part making up a good deal of your anxiety. These lunkheads were affiliated with Hydra, after all. If they had any sort of tesseract or scepter created weaponry all bets were off. Though a decent portion of your worries were also at facing his anger. He’d made it very clear he didn’t want you doing anything dangerous if at all possible, especially with him being unable to protect you. 

You were not, after all, a warrior. Stealth was your forte and straight combat was your weakness. Hence why you were waiting for nightfall and not risking getting shot. The enemy would likely let down their guard some by then, assuming nothing else came up, and they would have a much harder time seeing you. 

However waiting around was threatening to drive you crazy. You’d never spent so much time in one spot before, though it would have been much easier to do so if every noise didn’t make you flinch. You expected Thor to burst into the base at any moment, swinging Mjolnir about in a rage because he thought the enemy had gotten to you. 

It was a very attractive mental image, but the whole issue with him getting mad at you kind of overshadowed the fantasy. 

Worse than the anger though would be the disappointment. You’d gone back on your word and not because you wanted to either. 

You’d been best suited for the job—since Natasha was halfway across the globe on her own mission—and it wasn’t supposed to be that dangerous. It was just more than a little time critical since their security wouldn’t be so vulnerable forever. 

There was an old, ivy covered grate outside the guard’s patrol routes that had let you slip onto the grounds. It was part of a water system from back before the place had been remodeled in the twenties. It hadn’t yet been fortified since the group had settled into the former asylum a couple weeks back. They didn’t even seem to know it existed yet. Tony had found it through satellite surveillance and blueprints of the original building. It was not something they would overlook for very long though. 

So, using the darkness and pre-dawn mist, you had snuck right in and slipped into the vents without anyone being the wiser. You’d had your intel gathered and a copy of their main hard drive in under two hours, but then things had gone straight to hell. 

The alarms raised out of nowhere and at first you thought that you’d tripped something when you downloaded the files. You ran back into the ductwork and scaled back up to the higher levels for a vantage point on the main floor to see if you could still escape. However, the guards were all over the place by the time you made it up there and they didn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. 

Every since then they had been patrolling the grounds and the building non-stop. You’d managed to overhear some tidbits about what put them on alert, but they didn’t seem to know much about what it was. Only that something had hit their defenses from the outside and you knew it wasn’t your team. 

Tony wouldn’t be that stupid and the rest of the group wasn’t involved. Though, they would be if you didn’t make it out of there in the next few hours. Assuming they weren’t already on their way, of course. You wouldn’t put it passed the group to take your lengthy silence to mean something was wrong. After all, you’d been in enemy territory for almost eight hours.

You shifted yet again, trying to get comfortable, and rolled silently onto your back. You’d already moved away from the vantage point to somewhere dark and level. It was still on the first floor and within decent crawling distance of the grate that let you look out, but it was a marginally more comfortable spot and you didn’t have to worry about the light from your phone being seen. 

Really, the little device was about the only thing keeping you from losing your mind with stress. Though it wasn’t enough to keep your mind from drifting and it was losing the battle against your nerves with every passing moment. Because you knew that any minute you might hear the deep, booming clap of thunder that signaled Thor’s approach. The one that would shake the walls before he started tearing them down looking for you. 

The thought made you shiver a little with mixed feelings. Once again, it was a very sexy mental image, but it was also unsettling and nerve wrecking. You did not want to face his anger. Especially not when you would so deeply deserve it. You wanted to keep this little mistake a secret. Though, you knew all too well that if he asked you would not lie. It was bad enough to risk his trust for intel, important as it may have been. You sure as hell didn’t want to get caught in a lie. 

For about the umpteenth time, you moved the phone around in the vents to see if you could get even one bar of signal. You’d pretty much given up on finding a spot after venturing all through the ducts looking for one. Still though, you couldn’t help but hope. All you needed was just a moment to resend your text to Tony and then you’d no longer have to worry about the cavalry running to your aid. You didn’t need saving: you needed the sun to hurry up and drop out of sight. 

You also needed some new games on your phone. You’d gone through all of them already and none were holding your attention at this point. No doubt because you were anxious and uncomfortable, but it would have been nice to have at least one app that could keep you entertained for more than a few minutes at a time. 

A sudden, explosive noise nearly made you leap right out of your skin. Worse though was the dread that settled in after the scare. Because what you’d heard was unmistakably the sound of thunder. Loud and close and absolutely terrifying. 

You prayed it was just a regular storm and not the wrath of a certain ‘god’ coming to smite your foes… and maybe you for going back on your word. 

“Sounds like a storm rolling in.” One of the soldiers was speaking on the other side of the wall. It was hard to hear them, but you made it easier by pressing your ear against the duct. 

“Odd. I was just out there like five minutes ago and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.” Another replied and your stomach dropped. 

You reminded yourself though that storms could roll in fast. Just because this one appeared out of nowhere didn’t mean it was Thor. It could have been simply a swift moving storm front. Nothing unusual about that. 

A wayward thought derailed your reassuring rationalizing. 

Wasn’t it just a little too much of a coincidence for the weather to turn suddenly from sunny to stormy? You were trapped there dreading a certain storm deity finding out about your disappearance and out of the blue there comes the thunder. It could be a normal storm, sure, but it didn’t seem likely. 

Cringing at another clap of thunder, you rolled over onto your stomach and stowed your phone away. It seemed you were going to have to take a look for yourself. Hopefully it would ease the worry eating away at your insides. 

You shimmied quietly down towards the grate in the main hall. From there you could see out the tall windows across the way and judge the severity of the storm. Not that this would tell you if it was a normal thunderstorm or the fury of an angry god, but at least you’d have front row seats if he came bursting through the front door. 

Sadly it proved to be a day of bad timing. Or good, considering it was almost as though your anxiety-ridden thoughts had summoned up a response. Just as you made it to the grate to peer out, all hell broke loose. 

With one more mighty roar of thunder, your fears were realized. Though your expectation of him ‘bursting through’ may have been a little off the mark. He sent both of the large, reinforced steel doors flying into the room. That alone took out three guards. It would have been hilariously awesome under better circumstances. 

You watched the open doorway feeling the mounting of dread with each passing second, though the entry was only very briefly empty. Then, to your dismay, something worse than you’d imagined stepped in out of the storm. A triple threat of Iron Man, Captain America, and a _**very angry**_ thunder god. 

It was really no wonder that the soldiers were shaking in their boots. You would have been touched at having all three of them show up if you weren’t quaking a little yourself. You were not looking forward to having Thor’s glare turned in your direction. It was bad enough just knowing you were the cause of it. 

The fact that you were safe from any physical repercussions of his ire should have been a relief, but you didn’t seem to have it in you to be relieved by anything just then. Not with everything you were anticipating when you came out of hiding. Things that you tried not to think about as you watched the short lived battle in the room beyond. 

A few of the guards tried their guns, but all they got for the effort was a whole world of pain. The others decided on running, but that didn’t work out too well either. Thor especially did not seem to be in the mood to let anyone leave. 

Mjolnir knocked one of the two remaining guys into a wall and Thor handled the other one. He caught the fleeing guard by the throat, hoisting the man into the air so that he dangled several feet off the ground. 

“Where is she?” His tone was more of a growl and it made you shiver from head to toe. If you weren’t so worried about getting in trouble you would have flown right out of the vents and jumped him with a running start. His voice was sexy as hell even when striking fear and dread into your heart. 

“W-who?” The soldier choked, confused and terrified as hung suspended by Thor’s massive, crushing hand. 

Thor looked ready to beat the man to a pulp, no doubt thinking he was lying about not knowing who he meant. Or worse, that he’d played a hand in hurting you. However, Tony’s head turned towards where you were hiding and he stepped forward to tap the big guy on the shoulder. Thor turned slightly to acknowledge him and Tony pointed towards the grate. 

“Pretty sure they have no idea she’s even here.” You could hear the smirk in his tone. Of course he would find this situation amusing. He wasn’t the one who’d promised not to do anything dangerous and then got stuck in an enemy base making everyone freak out. 

You would have sighed at your own predicament if you could properly breathe. The jig was up and it was time to face the music. Even though it seemed much less terrifying to just crawl away into some far corner of the ventilation ducts and hide. Not that it would last very long. Tony could find you and Thor could just tear the building apart. You certainly wouldn’t put it passed him considering the mood he was in. 

So, with a heavy, leaden weight settling in the pit of your stomach, you kicked the metal grate out of the wall and shimmied out of the duct work to face your angry god. It was a loud exit, but there really was no point in being stealthy anymore. Not with the entrance those three had made. Every guard in the building would have heard that and no doubt they’d be swarming the area soon enough. Assuming there were any of them left, or that Hulk wasn’t somewhere near by dealing with them already. 

Frankly you would have rather faced Hulk at this point than Thor. Just looking at that angry face made you feel skittish and shaky. It didn't help much watching him toss the guard aside like a rag doll either. 

Tony glanced back out the entrance while you tried to decide if you should stand up or not. Maybe if you made yourself small and pathetic looking, Thor would be less inclined to shout. 

“Looks like they’re getting antsy.” Tony jerked his thumb towards the hole in the wall. “How ‘bout it Cap? Wanna go entertain the troops?” 

Steve smiled indulgently at the man. “You sure you can handle securing the building?” 

“Oh, I’m _sure_ I’ll manage.” Tony sassed before shooting off down the hall. 

Steve sent a much softer smile your way before he headed back outside, leaving you alone with Thor. Normally this would have been a good thing, but normally you weren’t on his bad side. At any other time, in any other situation, you would have run right into his waiting arms. You wanted to do that anyway, but part of you was afraid he wouldn’t have it. That he would shun your touch out of anger and you weren’t sure that your heart could take it. 

It was already threatening to break as his expression teetered towards concern, though his mouth was still pressed into that tight, angry line and even at a distance you could tell he was coiled and ready to strike. He looked ready to rampage and you weren’t entirely sure of the motives behind it. Anger at you? Anger at Hydra because they’d—inadvertently—trapped you there? Worry for your condition? Rage at the idea of you having been hurt… There were a lot of things he could potentially be enraged over and sadly you were at the center of each and every one. 

You knew that putting this off was out of the question. You also knew that you deserved whatever penance was coming your way. So you grit your teeth to bite back the fear and prepared to take your lumps. 

Though when you tried to stand you realized very quickly that your legs were not happy with the lack of use and cramped conditions. They sure as hell weren’t putting up with your full weight on them. They buckled right out from under you with half that pressure applied. 

You fell back onto your hands and knees with a pained grimace, bruising your knees against the floor. 

Thor said something that you didn’t understand, probably some Asgardian oath. It certainly sounded like it, as his tone, much like his expression, teetered somewhere between worry and rage. Before you could attempt to stand again, he was already in front of you reaching to pull you into his arms. 

He looked almost panicked as he hoisted you up, no doubt looking for some sort of serious wound or affliction to explain why you couldn’t stand. 

“Nothing serious.” You murmured and flinched with a grimace when reaching up towards him caused more pain than you’d expected. Everything hurt. It wasn’t the worst pain you’d experienced by far, but it was made all the worse by the nerves and stress this debacle had brought with it. 

Not to mention the tension his closeness caused. 

His thumb brushed softly against a scrape on your cheek, but even that minor pressure was enough to make it throb. 

“Might need a tetanus shot.” You murmured as you thought of what might have been in those vents you’d gotten all scraped up by.

Confusion tugged at his brow, likely because he had no idea what tetanus was, but he didn’t question it. Instead he stood up with you in his arms and headed right out the door. He didn’t pause or seem to spare a glance towards Steve and the few remaining guards he was contending with. He kept his eyes on the jet and strode across the courtyard like he was every bit the invincible god of legend. You doubted anyone would have messed with him even without the presence of the other Avengers to deal with. 

Even without the look of all consuming fury, he still seemed to exude danger in an almost tangible way. It was as thrilling to be close to as it was downright terrifying. 

You kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For him to look down at you and unleash his fury at your foolishness and lies. Every second that passed without that happening seemed too good to be true. It felt like the longer he went without venting his rage the worse it would be when it finally broke free. 

The thought made you shiver from head to toe. Though the fact that Thor pulled you closer to him, held you just a little bit tighter, was of some comfort. At least he wasn’t mad enough to not _care_. As if that hadn’t been obvious from the moment he burst in and demanded your location. He still loved you, of course; he just wasn’t necessarily happy with you. 

Being on the jet would have been a relief if not for the fact that it made you feel even more alone with him. You expected this to be where he lost his temper. This was where the real fight would begin…

Thor sat you gently on the bench of the quinjet, kneeling at your feet and running his hands softly across your hips. “Where else are you injured?”

It wasn’t the question that nearly made you leap out of your skin, but the unexpected softness of his voice. As though he felt you too injured to even speak normally. 

You covered his hands tentatively with your own. It never failed to amaze you how much they differed in size. Normally his vast size made you feel safe, but this time around it just made you feel all the more like a child who’d misbehaved. A foolish little girl who’d gone back on her promise, gotten hurt, and was waiting with bated breath for the scolding to come.

“It’s just scrapes and bruises, Thor.” You assured him, though the full weight of his gaze made you want to rethink your stance a little. Would he be less inclined to yell at you if he thought you were more injured? It seemed underhanded and cowardly, but you couldn’t banish that look of rage from your mind. 

You’d never seen him so angry and _dangerous_ before. 

He seemed massively relieved to see you in one piece, though probably looking as though you were in dire need of a shower. You knew the anger wouldn’t be too far off however. Once he’d made entirely certain that you were not harmed, it would be time to answer for your crimes. For your assurances did little to sway him. He didn’t seem entirely willing to take your word on the matter. Rather, he wanted to check the extent of your injuries himself, moving closer to you and leaning in to survey the damage beneath the tattered hem of your shirt. 

You couldn’t exactly blame his lack of trust either since you’d gone and broken your promise to him. He probably wouldn’t take anything you said at face value. The notion made you sicker than ever and had tears welling up too fast for you to fight them. 

He looked startled at the sight, likely thinking he’d caused you pain with his gentle prodding. 

You shook your head before he could ask. “I’m fine, Thor, just… bad day.” 

It seemed like such a weak excuse and it hardly summed up what you were feeling; but it was a lot easier to admit to than what actually ailed you. That you were terrified of every thought that might be running through his head. That the mere notion you’d let him down ate you alive in ways that were too terrible and painful to even begin to describe. 

For a moment he looked as though he was about to say something, but either didn’t know what to say or thought better of it. 

He sat by your side, close enough that your legs touched though he made no other contact. His whole body seemed to be coiled tightly as he held back the anger he no doubt wanted to unleash. His fists clenched and unclenched and what glances you dared make at his face revealed a storm of darkness and fury. 

It didn’t take too long for the others to join the pair of you on the jet. Which was something you were thankful for as the tense, awkward silence made you want to start crying in earnest and every sniffle made Thor look even more uncomfortable and angry. The thought that your tears might crack the wall that held back his rage made it somehow even harder to hold them back. You bit down hard on your lip and kept your gaze pointed far away from him. It was a little easier not to dissolve into a pathetic, sobbing mess if you didn’t have to see proof of how massively you’d screwed up. 

Steve and Tony were all smiles and bemusement as they stepped on board. They didn't seem worried about the angry storm deity, but then they weren't exactly a focal point for him. It wasn’t until they caught sight of your face that they started to grasp the gravity of the situation. You could only imagine what you must have looked like, how bad it must have been, for their smiles to drop out off like that. 

Steve looked concerned and Tony looked… nervous? Probably just worried you were going to start crying on him. He wasn’t exactly good at handling crying women. Which is likely why he made a point of avoiding you and heading for the controls of the ship instead. 

Meanwhile Steve came over and crouched down with a tentative smile that made you feel a little better. It made you think that, even if you were in the wrong over this, he’d still take your side once the shouting began. He didn’t seem upset with you and, if nothing else, he could always be counted on to be a chivalrous sweetheart. 

“You alright?” His voice was soft and concerned. It made you smile despite the tears you were desperately trying to hold back. A couple of them rolled down your cheeks and you felt more than saw Thor flinch. It made that knot in your chest just a little more painful. 

“I’ll live, Cap.” You replied softly before turning your gaze to the man very pointedly trying not to look in your direction. “Tony.”

He glanced back to see you holding up the thumb drive and his brows raised as he strolled over. You handed him the drive and he seemed more than a little surprised. He probably figured the alarms went up before you could complete the mission. Hell, he’d probably gotten the data himself already. 

“And here I thought you were losing your edge.” You knew he was teasing, but you still felt the sudden urge to smack him upside the head. After all, if he hadn’t come to you for help this whole situation could have been avoided.

“It was an easy job getting the stuff, but something on the outside tripped the alarm.” You explained if only to soothe the sting to your pride a little. “I don’t suppose you know what it was?” 

“Local militia.” He replied with a shrug as if this whole ordeal wasn’t worth much thought now that everyone was safe and sound. Of course _he_ wasn’t the one in trouble, though he probably should have been to some extent. “They have bad timing as usual.” 

Thor said nothing during this exchange and you were too nervous to cast a glance his way. Tony shot him a look though before he made himself scarce and that made your nerves even worse. You hadn’t thought it possible for them to get any worse honestly, but they did. If ‘the instigator’ was that wary of your beau, then all hell really was going to break loose. 

Yet even as everyone settled in and the jet lifted off, Thor remained silent. Somehow his silence was actually worse than yelling, worse than anger. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking and it was driving you crazy. Part of you wanted to ask him, to break the silence, but a much larger part was too afraid. Him being angry was something you could take if you had to. You weren’t sure the same could be said of disappointment or broken trust. Just the thought of it made you want to hurl yourself out of the jet in midair. 

Steve sent you a look that seemed sympathetic, but he wasn’t exactly making any attempt to break the silence. Even he didn’t want to cross Thor when he was so wound up. 

Tony seemed perfectly fine, aside from the fact that he was determinedly _not_ looking in your direction. He had his intel to decode and sort through, plus he wasn’t the one in trouble with a god. This time anyway. 

You probably could get him in trouble with Thor by mentioning that he’d been in on the whole thing, assuming he wasn’t already aware of that, but it seemed kind of pointless and petty. In the end, you were the one who’d agreed to go and any excuse was a moot point. You’d just have to suck it up and take your punishment—whatever it turned out to be. The silent treatment was likely just the tip of the iceberg and your stomach squirmed uncomfortably at the thought. 

*** 

Thor did not say one word to anyone the entire trip back. Not that anyone really tried talking to him. He had this air of barely controlled rage that made him feel completely unapproachable. Like he might bring down the hammer on someone just for breathing too loud. 

It was unnerving for him to be so silent for so long. It had to be some sort of record. 

The same could also be said for how long he was holding that dour expression. Thor was, by nature, a very happy and easy going man. Yet right then he looked dangerous and frosty in a way you would have expected from his brother, but certainly not from him. It also felt like he was going above and beyond to ignore your presence, aside from the fact that he stayed so close to your side that you were tucked right up against him. 

It was a confusing mix because he didn’t seem to want to look at you and yet he allowed for no space between you. His hand remained pressed against the bench at your far side, clenching and unclenching occasionally so that his fingers brushed against your thigh. The presence of his hand was part of the reason you hadn’t tried to move away, despite the oppressive air that came coupled with his closeness. You also didn’t actually _want_ to move, though it felt like your proximity made him worse. 

You could feel his muscles trembling against your back and side, coiled and ready for the unleashing. That he’d kept his rage so fiercely restrained the entire trip made you all the more terrified for the moment he’d stop holding back. You could only imagine what was going through his mind and _why_ he wouldn’t look at you.

Sometimes it felt like you could feel his gaze upon you and yet every time you glanced his way he was staring across the jet with that furious look upon his face. The one that made you want to run and hide. Obviously the sight of you only made him angrier and he had to focus on something else. You weren’t sure why he bothered aside from maybe not wanting to make a public spectacle of his anger. 

Perhaps he didn’t believe it right for couples to air their problems in public. Not a bad view, but you weren’t entirely sure how you felt about it. Sure, that meant less witnesses when he tore into you; but it also meant you’d be alone to his rage. 

The thought left you trembling and you felt his fist clinch beside your leg. 

When the jet touched down you realized you weren’t the least bit ready. You didn’t know what to do with yourself or how to face his anger all on your own. 

He stood up as you panicked and fought the urge to run. You’d just climbed shakily to your feet when he took you by surprise and scooped you right up into his arms. A sweet gesture you hadn’t expected, but perhaps you looked at least half as pathetic and unsteady as you felt. He probably thought you still couldn’t walk properly and that was a possibility, though not because of your legs anymore so much as because of him. Or maybe he just figured it’d be faster this way. 

He certainly did not pause or waste any time leaving the others in his furiously silent wake. Steve looked like he might have wanted to say something, but Thor wasn’t giving him a chance. The giant was already halfway to the elevator before the Captain could do more than open his mouth. 

You would be alone with him in seconds and you still had no idea what to say or how to take his anger. How could you defend yourself against it? Should you even try or would it just make things worse? No doubt he was well aware of why you did it, but the fact of the matter was that you’d still gone back on your word. 

To someone as ancient and honor-bound as him, that could very well be seen as unforgivable. That thought alone nearly brought back the tears and you made a point of not looking up even when you felt his arms trembling. Tears didn’t seem to make him any less angry. 

The doors of the elevator shut behind him and you were left alone with your thunder god. 

You braced yourself for the impact, but the silence still hung thick between you. Your eyes were shut tight as you trembled and waited, almost unable to breathe. 

That his silence continued even a moment after the two of you were alone was frightening and confusing. It blew your thoughts of him just not wanting to argue in front of people right out of the water and made you even more worried. 

Once you were alone in the elevator you’d expected him to hit the stop button, set you down, and rip you a new one right then and there. Instead he said nothing and continued to hold you. You wondered if he was still wearing that dangerously angry scowl or worse yet glaring down at you in reality the way he was in your mind. Yet you were too afraid to check. 

Regardless though, he didn’t say a word and he did not let you out of his arms. Not that you were sure you wanted to leave them anyway. Even as the elevator doors opened and he strode his way towards the room you shared, nothing changed. Though you knew that couldn’t last. His anger was too great to be held back forever. 

He walked you all the way to the bed and this is when you thought it would happen. He’d put you down and the fight would ensue. Yet everything he was doing continued to throw you off. 

He was so _gentle_ in the way he set you down. It felt surreal considering just how furious he had to be with you. He’d never exactly been rough, considering how breakable you were compared to him, but you didn’t expect him to treat you as being fragile in his incensed state of mind. 

It wasn’t like it would have been the first time he’d thrown you onto the bed… though this would have been for a far less desirable reason. Instead he put you down like you might just shatter with the slightest amount of pressure. Your state of mind felt ready to do just that, but physically you weren’t quite so frail. 

Though the feeling of the bed beneath you made you consider rethinking that. It felt softer than anything you’d ever felt before and made you realize just how much your body actually ached. The pain had been greatly overshadowed by fear and anxiety, but laying down made it all come rushing back. Especially since Thor seemed to be in no hurry to start yelling.

In fact he was laying down beside you. 

You cringed a little instinctively as he reached for you and he paused, though only briefly. He wrapped you up in his embrace in a way that made you feel both shackled and safe. You couldn’t have escaped his clutches even if you wanted to. Though this situation confused the hell out of you. 

Was he still riding the grateful high of finding you in one piece? He’d certainly seemed too angry for that on the trip back to base. Yet now he was different. He’d hardly touched you the whole way back and now he was pinning you against the mattress. His arms kept you close as he buried his face in your hair. You felt him trembling against you and it felt like he was finally losing control. The storm was reaching the point in which it would be uncontainable and the fight would begin. Yet the way he held you did not suggest rage. 

It suggested fear. 

You lifted your hand tentatively, hesitating briefly before you touched him. His body stiffened and you nearly pulled your hand away, but then you felt his lips. He pressed a kiss to the crown of your head, holding you just a little tighter, and it made you feel emboldened. You curled closer, gripping the back of his shirt as you let yourself begin to relax just a little. 

This was far more affectionate than anything you’d pictured. 

When he pulled back to look at you, his expression came as a surprise. 

He didn’t look angry at all. Concerned and anxious, but not angry. 

Somehow this did little to put you at ease. His anger would have been natural, expected. This was something you hadn’t prepared for, or even considered, and you weren’t sure what to do. 

You traced the outline of his face as if it might lead you to his thoughts. As if it could shed some light on just what was going through his mind and why he wasn’t shouting at you for what you’d done. 

The look on his face as he stared down at you was devastating. His sadness was far, far worse than rage… 

You couldn’t figure out the right words to question it before he was burying his face in the crook of your neck. Littering kisses along your throat with a sort of desperate reverence that shot straight to your heart. 

"Thor?" 

"When they said they couldn’t reach you," he groaned against your throat, tightening his hold on you. "That you were still inside," he started kissing your neck again. Long open-mouthed kisses that made you melt into the bed. "I was… _Afraid_.” You felt him trembling beneath your hands at just the memory of it. “I wanted to tear down the walls and avenge every slight against you, slay every man who’d even _thought_ to harm you, and yet I could not make myself move for the _fear_." He pulled back to look at you then and you felt his pain in earnest the moment you locked eyes. “I thought I had lost you.” 

This shocked the hell out of you. He’d been afraid. Thor, the most powerful and intimidating being you knew had been absolutely terrified. 

He leaned back in to shower his affection across your skin with a tangible need that crossed over into desperation.

You wanted to apologize, but you didn’t even know where to start or what to say. That you were capable of causing such fear in him was startling and more than a little terrifying. You’d known all too well that he worried for you, but it hadn’t really clicked just how much the idea of your death would affect him. 

“I thought you were angry with me.” You admitted softly and began to worry anew when he started to pull back once more. 

He braced himself on his forearms as he looked you over. There was something calculative in his stare that made you feel warm and nervous. 

”You mortals have a knack for finding trouble even with the best intentions.” He stated plainly, though there was almost something amused there in his tone. “I know you would not have left if you did not believe you had to.”

The relief this caused was so profound you could have wept. All that time you’d worried about his rage and instead what you got was his fear. He wasn’t upset with you, he was upset because for a time he thought he’d _lost_ you. He’d felt helpless and for someone as powerful as him that couldn’t be a common occurrence. 

Now the two of you were sharing in the relief, basking in one another's closeness, and you were starting to see and feel a change in him. One that was spawned by that very closeness. 

You could tell by the glint in his eyes and the way he loomed above you, that he had no interest in setting you free. 

His fingers lifted the edge of your shirt just a little, right at the place you’d ripped it hurrying back into the vents. 

You were reminded suddenly just how dirty you’d gotten crawling around in those ancient vents. "My clothes are really filthy." 

There was a brief flash of something akin to mischief before he slipped right back into that neutral expression that you were no longer buying. 

“Perhaps you would be more comfortable out of them.” An innocent enough suggestion, but his tone was the furthest thing from it. 

You felt light headed and bold as you slipped your hand over his own. “Perhaps you could help me with that?” 

He looked very pleased by your request. In fact his smile was more than a little wicked and did absolutely _terrible_ things to your state of mind. You could only imagine what he planned to do with you. The thoughts running wild in your head were quite enjoyable really. Though you knew all too well how they paled in comparison to the real thing. 

He leaned in so close that you could feel his lips as they moved against your own. “It would be my pleasure.”

He shifted, maneuvering your bodies to press his hips against yours… to let you glimpse the _pleasure_ that he had in mind. You trembled in delight and anticipation at the feel of him between your thighs.

Returning home had turned out **far** better than you’d expected.

**Author's Note:**

> The ending is very "meh" to me, but one of these days I might try and remedy that with smut... though it's not like I don't have tons of other smut projects with him tucked away. 
> 
> He is much too sexy to be allowed. ._.


End file.
